IMPORTANT NOTE: In 2002, the FCC updated the EAS
regulations to permit an upgrade of EAS equipment. The upgrade is optional.
Those broadcasters and cable operators who install the upgrade will have
additional capabilities with respect to their EAS equipment. Example, upgraded
EAS equipment will allow for 60 minutes of time before a broadcaster or cable
operator must re-broadcast the Required Monthly Test (RMT). Equipment not upgraded
will be limited to 15 minutes. The upgrade also allows for the use many new
Event Codes such as CAE for AMBER alerts. Equipment not upgraded will probably
receive CAE messages as un-recognized messages rather than as Child Abduction
Emergency (AMBER) messages.

I.
Intent and Purpose of this Plan

This plan is the FCC-Mandated document outlining the organization and
implementation of the Washington DC National Capital Region (WDCNCR) Emergency Alert System (EAS). It is the
guideline for broadcasters and cable operators to determine: (1) their mandated
and optional monitoring assignments, (2) codes to be
used in the EAS Header sequence, (3) schedule of Required
Monthly Tests which must be relayed by all broadcasters and cable operators
within 15/60* minutes of reception, and (4) any other elements of the EAS which
are unique to this metropolitan area. This plan is an adjunct to the FCC EAS
Rules, and is not meant to be a summary, in whole or in part, of those rules.
Consult FCC Rules Part 11 for general rules regarding the Emergency Alert
System. *Upgraded EAS equipment only.

II.
The National, State, and Local EAS: Participation and Priorities

A.
National EAS Participation

All broadcasters and cable operators are required to take certain
actions when the National level EAS is activated. "PN" (Participating
National) broadcast stations and all cable operators would carry the
Presidential message. "NN" (Non-Participating National) broadcast
stations would make an announcement and sign off. In addition, all broadcasters
and cable operators must transmit a Required Weekly Test (RWT), and once a
month, must re-transmit the Required Monthly Test (RMT) within 15/60* minutes
of receiving it on their EAS Decoder. These actions are required of all
broadcasters and cable operators, regardless to their "PN" or
"NN" EAS status. *Upgraded EAS equipment only.

B.
State / Local EAS Participation

Participation in the State and/or Local Area EAS is voluntary for all
broadcasters and cable operators. However, any broadcasters / cable operators
electing to participate in the State and /or Local Area EAS must then follow
the procedures found in this Plan. Note: Even though they elect not to carry
National EAS Alerts, stations designated "NN" (Non-Participating
National) may participate in the State and/or Local Area EAS without any
prior FCC approval.

C.
Conditions of EAS Participation

Acceptance of/or participation in this Plan shall not be deemed as a
relinquishment of program control, and shall not be deemed to prohibit a
broadcast licensee from exercising his independent discretion and
responsibility in any given situation. Broadcast stations and cable systems
originating EAS emergency communications shall be deemed to have conferred
rebroadcast authority. The concept of management of each broadcast station and
cable system to exercise discretion regarding the broadcast of emergency
information and instructions to the general public is provided by the FCC Rules
and Regulations.

D.
EAS Priorities

Broadcasters and cable operators are reminded that the EAS Priorities as set
forth in the FCC Rules are as follows:

National EAS Messages

Local Area EAS Messages

State EAS Messages

Messages from the National Information Center (NIC) [These are follow-up
messages after a National EAS Activation.]

The WDCNCR
ECC is the planning group that developed this plan. The plan is the guideline
for broadcasters and cable operators to determine: (1) their mandated and
optional monitoring assignments, (2) codes to be used in the EAS Header
sequence, (3) schedule of Required Monthly Tests which must be relayed by all
broadcasters and cable operators, (4) guidance for message originators, etc.
ECC members include the Chair, Vice-Chair, the representatives of the National
Weather Service and the jurisdictions covered by the plan, and Metropolitan
Washington Council Of Governments (COG) as a
facilitating member.

IV. Organization and Concepts of the WDCNCR EAS

A.
Broadcast and Cable EAS Designations

These are the FCC's EAS Station Designations, reflecting the EAS status of
every broadcaster and cable operator. Consult Appendix A
of this plan to determine your EAS Designation.

NP (National Primary)

Sole source of
all National EAS Alerts. These stations will be monitored by Washington
DC National Capital Region Local Primary (LP) stations.

SR (State Relay)

Stations that relay the State
Emergency Network to the PN and NN stations.

LP-1 (Local Primary)

The local EAS
LP-1 source (usually a broadcast station in your area) which was previously the
EBS CPCS-1 station. In some large areas where the LP-1 does not have
complete coverage, an LP-2 station has been designated to cover the far reaches
of the area. Information in this plan relating to LP-1's also applies to LP-2's
in those areas. LP-1 and LP-2 stations are primarily sources of Local Area
Emergency EAS Messages. They will also be relaying National, State, and Weather
Alerts.

PN (Participating National)

Almost all broadcasters and cable
operators are designated as "PN". These sources are for delivering
all levels of EAS to the general public.

NN (Non-Participating National)

These are broadcasters who hold an
"NN Authorization" from the FCC to sign off the air during a National
level EAS activation.

B. Other Definitions

The following are other terms used in the organization of the Washington DC
National Capital Region Plan.

NOAA WEATHER RADIO - Under EAS, NOAA Weather Radio (NWR) stations are
encoding all of their warnings using the same coding as is used for EAS Alerts.
Broadcasters and cable operators can feed their EAS Decoders with the audio
from any normal NOAA Weather Radio receiver, and their EAS Decoder will react
just as it does with broadcaster and cable operator EAS codes.

NUCLEAR PLANT / INDUSTRIAL PLANT - As part of the EAS, nuclear plants, and
industrial plants with a potential for dangerous conditions, will most likely
have their own EAS Encoder broadcasting on a two-way radio channel. In this way
they can warn area emergency managers directly of any potentially hazardous
conditions. Emergency Services agencies which monitor this channel with an EAS
Decoder can be warned immediately and relay the message to every area
broadcaster and cable operator. Further, if the Emergency Services EAS Decoder
monitors area broadcasters and cable operators, it will confirm when those
sources pass on the emergency message.

C.
Primary and Secondary Delivery Plan

The task of this Plan was to determine a primary and secondary delivery
method for each level of EAS alert. For broadcasters and cable operators
electing to monitor only the two assigned sources, two paths for each alert are
provided. Broadcasters and cable operators adding the four optional sources
will have three paths on some alerts. Using the Designations and Definitions
just outlined, the redundancy of the WDCNCR EAS Plan is diagrammed on the
following pages. For clarity, the first page shows the distribution paths for
each level of the EAS drawn out separately. Thus, some communications paths are
delivering more than one level of EAS alert. The second page maps out all of
the State EAS paths on one diagram. Consult Appendix A, "Monitoring Assignments", to determine the
specific two mandated and four optional sources that each broadcaster and cable
operator should monitor.

D.
Your Part in Completing the System

The WDCNCR ECC sees the EAS as growing and evolving once the system is in
place, especially at the local level. The basic entry to the
EAS are the LP-1 and LP-2 stations. Additional entry points will be
available to those Emergency Operations Centers (EOCs) that have an EAS
Encoder.

ORG = (Originator Code) - Preset once by user, then sent
automatically by your encoder. See the following section for the code you must
use.

EEE = (Event Code) - Determined by the user, each time an
alert is sent. See the following section for the only codes to be used in the
WDCNCR area.

PSSCCC = (County-Location Code) - Determined by the user, each
time an alert is sent. See the following section for the assigned codes of
all WDCNCR area jurisdictions.

TTTT = (Duration of Alert) - Determined by the user, each time
an alert is sent.

JJJHHMM = (Date/Time-of-Day) - Sent automatically by your encoder.

LLLLLLLL = (8-Character ID, Identifying the Broadcaster, Cable Operator,
National Weather Service Office, Nuclear/Industrial Plant, or Civil Authority
operating that encoder.) Preset Once by user,
then sent automatically by your encoder. See the following section for the
format to be followed by all users in constructing their "L-Code".

2. Attention Signal - Must be sent if aural, visual, or text message
is sent.

3. Aural,
Visual, or Text Message
� Limited to two minutes.

4. End Of Message digital Code

NNNN (End-of-Message Code) - Must be initiated manually at the end of
every EAS message originated by all sources. System failure will occur if this
code is not sent to reset the decoders of all broadcast stations and cable
systems that carried that alert.

C.
WDCNCR Event Codes

Whether used under the authority of the State EAS Plans, or any of the
County/Local Area EAS Plans, the following are the only Event Codes (EEE) to be
used in the Washington DC National Capital Region by anyone for any purpose. No
codes can be added by anyone without FCC approval. County/Local area EAS plans
which desire to use a code not on this list, should submit that code request to
the WDCNCR ECC for FCC approval and subsequent addition to this list. This list
will be maintained as a "Master List" for all Event Codes used in the
Washington DC National Capital Region.

Mandated and
Optional FCC Event Codes (EAN, EAT, RMT, RWT)

Except for the messages containing the above mandated codes, all other
messages containing the codes listed below are optional both for receiving and
transmitting. Note: The optional receiving capability is only available with
upgraded EAS equipment. Broadcasters and cable operators should check their EAS
equipment to determine if it is the upgraded version. Also, with respect to the
WDCNCR, it is likely that only certain of the optional codes in the table
immediately below will actually be used. These are indicated with an asterisk.

Emergency Action Notification

EAN

Emergency Action Termination

EAT

National Information Center

NIC

National Periodic Test

NPT

Required Monthly Test

RMT

Required Weekly Test

RWT

Tornado Watch

TOA*� �

Tornado Warning

TOR*

Severe Thunderstorm Watch

SVA*

Severe Thunderstorm Warning

SVR*

Severe Weather Statement

SVS

Special Weather Statement

SPS

Flash Flood Watch

FFA

Flash Flood Warning

FFW*

Flash Flood Statement

FFS

Flood Watch

FLA

Flood Warning

FLW*

Flood Statement

FLS

Winter Storm Watch

WSA

Winter Storm Warning

WSW

Blizzard Warning

BZW**

High Wind Watch

HWA

High Wind Warning

HWW*

Evacuation Immediate

EVI*

Civil Emergency Message

CEM*

Practice/Demo Warning

DMO

Hurricane Statement

HLS

Hurricane Watch

HUA

Administrative Message

ADR

Hurricane Warning

HUW

** Used only in extreme conditions.

The following Event codes are only usable with
upgraded EAS Equipment. Messages containing these codes that are received with
old equipment may show up as unrecognized messages. The CAE code will be used
for AMBER messages.

D. WDCNCR
Jurisdiction-Location Codes

The
first digit (P) of the Location Code (PSSCCC) can be used to indicate one-ninth
of the location code it precedes, in the following pattern:

P Digit

Location

0

Entire Area

1

Northwest

2

North

3

Northeast

4

West

5

Central

6

East

7

Southwest

8

South

9

Southeast

The remaining 5 digits (SSCCC) indicate the jurisdiction�s State and County,
as listed below.

Jurisdiction

SSCCC Digits

Washington, DC

11001

Montgomery, MD

24031

Prince George's, MD

24033

Frederick, MD

24019

Arlington, VA

51013

Fairfax, VA

51059

Loudoun, VA

51107

Prince William, VA

51153

Alexandria, VA

51510

Fairfax (City), VA

51600

Falls Church, VA

51610

Manassas, VA

51683

Manassas Park, VA

51685

Potomac River

073535*

Therefore, a message targeted to the entire District of Columbia would
have a location code of 011001. A message targeted to the northwest corner of
Montgomery County. Maryland would have a location code of 124031. * New off
shore FIPS code for the tidal Potomac from Key Bridge to Indian Head. NWS will
start to use this code sometime after October 15, 2003.

E.
WDCNCR �L-Code� Formats

This 8-character code (LLLLLLLL) is affixed to every EAS message originated
or re-transmitted by every EAS Encoder. The code identifies the particular
broadcaster, cable operator, National Weather Service Office,
nuclear/industrial plant, or civil authority operating that encoder.
"L-Code" Ids must adhere to the following formats. No
deviation from these formats is allowed, since using certain other characters
would cause an error in the system.

Broadcasters:

Single Station: "WXXX(FM)

Two Stations: "WXXXWYYY

Three or more Stations: The call letters of one of the stations is
sufficient. All other stations sending the alert should keep a log of alerts
sent, as should the ID's station. (Per FCC)

Cable Operators:

Use the FCC Cable ID Number

Weather Service
Offices:

Use the Letters "NWS", followed by the call sign of the NOAA
Weather Radio Station sending the alert.

Private Industry:

VI.
EAS Tests

The following requirements regarding both RWT's and RMT's apply to all
broadcast stations and cable systems, "PN" as well as "NN"
stations. Even broadcast stations and cable systems that have elected not to
participate in local EAS alerts are required to rebroadcast their local RMT
every month. There are exceptions to these rules. LPTV stations that operate as
TV broadcast translator stations are not required to have EAS equipment. LPFM
stations will eventually have to install only an EAS decoder. Class "D"
FM and LPTV stations need not have an EAS Encoder but they must have an EAS
Decoder. Cable systems and wireless cable systems serving less than 5,000
subscribers are required to install only an EAS decoder. Thus, these stations
and cable systems are exempt from running the weekly digital code RWT test.
However, they must retransmit the monthly RMT tests as outlined below, minus
the EAS Header Codes and Attention Signal. In addition, LPTV stations must
present all EAS information visually, just as all other TV stations must do. FM
broadcast booster stations and FM translator stations, which entirely
rebroadcast the programming of other local FM broadcast stations, are not
required to have EAS equipment. Broadcast stations that operate as satellites
or repeaters of a hub station (or common studio or control point) may satisfy
their EAS equipment requirement through the use of a single set of EAS
equipment at the hub station.

A. Required Weekly Test (RWT)

1.
Transmission:

All broadcasters and cable operators (unless exempt by FCC rules) must
transmit an RWT once each week at random days and times except for the week of
the RMT test. There are no time of day restrictions.
This is a 10.5 second test, consisting only of the EAS digital Header and End
of Message digital Codes. The National Weather Service originates an RWT
every Wednesday between 11 am and 12 pm local time.

2.
Reception

All broadcasters and cable operators receiving a RWT from one of their
monitored sources must log receipt of this test. No further action is required.

B. Required Monthly Test (RMT)

1.
Transmission

RMT's are to be initiated by the LP-1 or LP-2 stations. During some months,
the test may actually be initiated by an EOC (Emergency Operations Center)
that is equipped with an EAS encoder. During the designated week for this test,
all other broadcasters and cable operators are to wait for this test and then
react as described in �Reception/Re-transmission of RMTs,� below. These tests
will always use the RMT event code.

2.
Scheduling of RMTs: Week and Time of Day:

RMT's will occur in the third
Sunday through Saturday week of the month.

RMT's will occur in the 2nd
or 4th quarter hour to accommodate television station breaks at
the hour and half hour.

The RMT schedule is published
in advance for the upcoming year.

RMT's will be scheduled on a
day early in the week when more broadcast station and cable system
availabilities are present.

RMT's will be scheduled to
avoid Holidays, and special events (such as inaugurations).

3. Scheduling of
RMT's: Recommended Time Constraints:

LP stations as well as EOC's are requested to use judgment
in the scheduling of times for RMT's. Since all broadcasters and cable
operators are required to rebroadcast this test within 15/60* minutes of
receiving it, care should be taken to not put undue hardship on TV broadcasters
and cable operators in particular, when they are carrying their highest revenue
programming. On a daily basis, these periods would include all major newscasts:
early morning, noontime, evening and late evening. In addition, the times of
major events are recommended to be avoided, such as: pre-planned Presidential
speeches, hours of a major national or local news story carried outside of
normal newscast hours, local and national election coverage, and major sporting
events like World Series games and the Superbowl.
*Upgraded EAS equipment only.

Broadcasters and cable operators that have a complaint regarding the
scheduling of RMT's in the area should make their concerns known to the WDCNCR
ECC.

4.
Reception / Re-transmission

All broadcasters and cable operators receiving an RMT must re-transmit this
test within 15/60* minutes of receiving the test. For Daytime only stations
receiving a night time RMT, this test must be re-transmitted within 15/60*
minutes of the Daytime only stations' sign on. Transmission of this RMT takes
the place of the Required Weekly Test (RWT). Times should be logged for both
the receipt and re-transmission of the RMT test. Broadcast and cable management
should impress on their staff that re-transmission of this test is not an
option. It is an FCC violation to fail to re-transmit this test within 15/60*
minutes of receiving it. The best policy may be to set your EAS unit for a
15/60* minute automatic countdown upon receiving an RMT. If the operator on
duty does not send the test manually within that window, the box will do it for
the operator when time runs out. *Upgraded EAS equipment
only.

C. Time-Duration and Jurisdiction-Location Codes to be used

Time Duration used in the EAS Header Code for all EAS tests shall be
"70 Minutes". Jurisdiction Codes to be used in the EAS Header Code
for all EAS tests shall conform to these guidelines:

LP Stations: All tests, RWT and RMT, shall include the Location Code for all
the jurisdictions in the Washington DC National Capital Region as follows:

Jurisdiction

Code

Washington, DC

011001

Montgomery, MD

024031

Prince George's, MD

024033

Frederick, MD

024019

Arlington, VA

051013

Fairfax, VA

051059

Loudoun, VA

051107

Prince William, VA

051153

Alexandria, VA

051510

Fairfax (City), VA

051600

Falls Church, VA

051610

Manassas, VA

051683

Manassas Park, VA

051685

PN and NN broadcast stations and cable operators: RMT tests shall be
re-transmitted unchanged except for the "L-Code". Thus, RMTs will
include all jurisdictions present in the original message. For the RWT
originated each week by each PN and NN broadcast station and each cable
operator, the jurisdiction code used shall be the jurisdiction of the
broadcasters' City of License, or cable operators' Community of License. Other
jurisdictions in the stations'/systems' service area may be added at management
discretion.

RMT

LP stations originating this test should use the following format. All other
broadcasters and cable operators will receive the test in this format, and must
re-transmit it within 15/60* minutes in the same format. Format is as follows.
*Upgraded EAS equipment only.

Stop regular programming

Intro: "This is a test
of the Washington DC National Capital Region Emergency Alert System."

Read Test script: "This
is a test of the Washington DC National Capital Region Emergency Alert
System. In the event of an emergency, this system would bring you
important information. This test is now concluded."

One second pause

Send EAS End of Message
digital Code 3 times

One second pause

Resume normal programming

Timing Note: The script above can be read in 9-10 seconds. All other
elements of the RMT (the Header Codes and an 8 second Attention Signal) take
about 25 seconds. The goal of writing this short script was to fit the entire
test into 40 seconds. This will allow television stations to air the RMT
followed by a 20 second promotional announcement in a 60
second availability. The promotional announcement should allow the EAS crawl to
complete before normal programming resumes.

Activation Announcement:
"We interrupt our regular programming to activate the Washington DC
National Capital Region Emergency Alert System. At the request of (Emergency
Agency), all EAS broadcast stations and cable systems are requested to
rebroadcast the following (Type of Alert / Matches Event Code)
announcement. This is the Washington DC National Capital Region Emergency
Alert System. Important information will follow."

Broadcast Emergency Message.
Do not exceed 1 � minutes!

Termination Announcement:
"This is the Washington DC National Capital Region Emergency Alert
System. All Washington DC National Capital Region broadcast stations and
cable systems are requested to rebroadcast the preceding announcement,
which was issued by (Emergency Agency). We now resume normal
programming.

VIII. Guidance for Originators of EAS Alerts

A.
Guidance for National Weather Service Personnel

NWS personnel should issue EAS Weather Alerts via the Weather Teletype, NOAA
Weather Radio and satellite using the NOAA SAME Codes. NWS procedures should be
followed relating to the transmission of the SAME Codes, the 1050 Hz Alert
Tone, the reading of the audio weather bulletin script, and the EOM Code.
Considering that NOAA Weather Radio is being envisioned in the future as an
"All Hazards" radio network, alerts for other than weather
emergencies may soon be originated by NWS personnel. In the event that NWS
personnel originate non-weather EAS Alerts, procedures found in this plan
regarding those alerts should be followed. NWS in Sterling, Virginia, is
scheduled at the end of September, 2003, to begin using the new EAS Event and
Location Codes adopted by the FCC in February, 2002.

B.
Guidance for Emergency Services Personnel

EAS is designed so that agencies with an emergency message need transmit
that message only once and the message will be received by all area
broadcasters and cable operators simultaneously. The most accessible method to
do this is via your satellite feed, Emergency Government VHF two-way radio
channel or telephone. In order to generate this EAS message for transmission to
broadcasters and cable operators, a device called an EAS Encoder is needed.
This unit is connected to your satellite feed, two-way radio or telephone line.
Your message will be received by local broadcasters and cable operators. It
will then automatically trigger their EAS decoders to deliver your message. At
the present time, most jurisdictions have not purchased their own EAS encoder.
A jurisdiction without an EAS encoder can utilize the EAS by contacting WTOP(FM) or WETA(FM) or NWS.

A WORD OF CAUTION: Emergency Services agencies have acquired a valuable new
tool in gaining direct access to all area broadcasters and cable operators via
the EAS. However, if not used prudently, you put yourself in danger of losing
this tool. Broadcasters and cable operators are expecting the EAS to be used
only in life-threatening emergencies. Keep in mind two things. First,
some broadcasters and cable operators have their EAS Decoders set on Automatic
Mode. There is no one to screen your message and decide if it should be aired.
They are depending on you to only send an EAS Alert for a very serious
emergency. The first time you trigger the system for a frivolous event, you
will lose the confidence of your area broadcasters and cable system operators.
The second thing to remember is that broadcasters and cable operators
participate in the local level EAS on a voluntary basis. No one can
force them to carry your EAS alerts. Maintain a good relationship with your
local broadcasters and cable operators, and they will come through for you in a
crisis.

C.
Guidance for Regional Emergency Messages

See Appendix F for the March 7, 2003, Memorandum
of Understanding (MOU).

IX.
Guidance for All Users in Programming their EAS Decoders

This plan is designed to serve as a learning tool for broadcasters, cable
operators and emergency managers to effectively use the EAS for providing
warning messages to the citizens of the Washington DC National Capital Region.

It covers only the parts of the plan that are needed to comply with FCC
regulations taking effect on January 1, 1997, through February, 2002.
Specifically, a list of monitoring assignments is provided so all broadcast
stations and cable systems will have two monitoring assignments. National level
EAS participation and RWT/RMT tests are the only REQUIRED functions being dealt
with in this draft. More development and testing of the plan is
required to integrate local and state agencies into the EAS.

Contacts and meetings with local and state emergency preparedness officials
should be held to bring them into the plan. For now, the prevailing State and
local EAS plans will function to bring information from the government officials
to the key EAS stations (sources) - SP (State Primary), SR (State Relay) and LP
(Local Primary). The message will then travel over the EAS system according to
the monitoring plan. Agreements with local and state agencies should strive to
get EAS encoders present at the Emergency Operations Centers, so that alerts
can be originated at the EOC's.

This plan specifies only the required two EAS sources (in our case broadcast
stations) that each broadcaster and cable operator are
required to monitor. Most EAS decoders have more than two inputs. It is
encouraged that broadcasters and cable operators add as many receivers and
inputs beyond the two required to serve the needs of their audience.

It is strongly recommended that all broadcast stations and cable systems
add a NOAA weather radio receiver as one of the inputs to their EAS decoder.

Additionally, because the Washington DC National Capital Region includes
three jurisdictions, (District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia), monitoring
assignments were chosen to cover the two state EAS networks plus the District.
Stations may choose to add EAS decoder inputs to monitor adjacent areas to
which they are not assigned.

Monitoring assignments were chosen based on a broadcast station's City of
License and cable system�s Community of Service.

District of Columbia
licensees are assigned two DC LP stations.

Maryland licensees are
assigned one Maryland SP or LP station and one DC LP station.

Virginia licensees are
assigned one Virginia SR or LP station and one DC LP station.

Jurisdictions covered:

District of Columbia

Washington

State of Maryland

Frederick County

Montgomery County

Prince George's County

Commonwealth of Virginia

City of Alexandria

Arlington County

Fairfax County

City of Fairfax

City of Falls Church

City of Manassas

Loudoun County

City of Manassas Park

Prince William County

Broadcast stations outside these areas with a significant Washington DC
National Capital Region audience may monitor the Washington DC National Capital
Region area at their option but must use the EAS assignments given to them in
their respective state plans.

Key EAS sources (LPs) for the District will be WTOP(FM)
and WETA(FM). In Maryland, WBAL/WIYY serves as the State LP-1 station. WBAL is
also a Primary Entry Point (PEP) station in the national level EAS. WPGC-FM
will serve as the LP-2 station. WMAL-FM will relay the Virginia state EAS
network to WTOP(FM) and WETA.

The "Local EAS Area" for
broadcast stations and cable systems decoders is as follows:

Jurisdiction

FIPS Code

Washington, DC

011001

Frederick

024019

Montgomery, MD

024031

Prince George's, MD

024033

Arlington, VA

051013

Fairfax, VA

051059

Loudoun, VA

051107

Prince William, VA

051153

Alexandria, VA

051510

Fairfax (City), VA

051600

Falls Church, VA

051610

Manassas, VA

051683

Manassas Park, VA

051685

Potomac River

073535

This section is provided to aid users of EAS, primarily broadcasters and cable
operators, in programming their Event codes, Jurisdiction Codes, and Modes of
Operation into their EAS Decoder. This information can also be of value to
Emergency Services personnel who are making use of the Decoder section in their
EAS gear.

Each EAS alert that you want to program your EAS gear to respond to will
require that you tell it these three elements: (1) which Event Code* you want
it to respond to, (2) which Jurisdiction* (including the Potomac River) that
event should apply to, and (3) what Mode of Operation you want it to respond
in. *Upgraded EAS equipment can respond to more Event and Location codes than
equipment that has not been upgraded.

A.
Modes of Operation

All EAS Decoders must be capable of at least Manual and Automatic Operation.
Some manufacturers also offer a Semi-Automatic Mode.

Manual Operation:Your EAS gear will only notify you of any incoming EAS alerts that
you have programmed it to respond to. Your operator must push a button to cause
the alert to be transmitted on your station/cable system.

Automatic Operation:
This type of operation would normally be used with a Program Interrupt
connection to the EAS Unit. Your on-air audio and/or video is "looped
through" the EAS Unit so that the unit can interrupt the audio/video
programming when necessary. In automatic operation, when the EAS Decoder
receives an EAS alert that you have programmed it to respond to, it immediately
interrupts your programming to transmit the alert.

IMPORTANT NOTE: If you operate your broadcast station or cable system as
an unattended facility for any period of time, during that period of time you
must operate your EAS equipment in the automatic mode. �

Semi-Automatic Operation:
Under this mode of operation, when the EAS Decoder receives an EAS alert that
you have programmed it to respond to, it will begin a preset countdown to
automatic interrupt. The idea is for your operator to run the EAS alert on the
air manually at his earliest convenience. If the alert is not run by the time
the countdown expires, the EAS gear will take over and do it for your operator.
The same could apply to a broadcast automation system, where the automation
system should insert the received alert in the next commercial break. If it
fails to do that, the EAS gear will interrupt to transmit the alert at the end
of the time out.

You can program your EAS gear to respond to different alerts in different
modes, such as responding to all weather watches in Manual Mode, and all
weather warnings in Automatic Mode. The Required Monthly Test (RMT), which must
be re-transmitted within 15/60* minutes of receipt, could be programmed for
Semi-Automatic Mode with a 15/60* minute countdown. This would give your
operator the opportunity to run the RMT at a break in their show. However, if
forgotten, the EAS gear would then do it to prevent you from committing an FCC
violation. *Upgraded EAS equipment only.

B. Jurisdiction-Location Codes to Use

There are certain Event codes in EAS messages that you will receive for your
City or Community of License that you must program your EAS gear to
respond to. A list of those required Events Codes is shown below. When
programming your EAS gear for other optional EAS alerts, you will want to
include any other communities in your "service area" that you wish to
provide alerts to your listeners/viewers for. Again, each type of alert can
include whatever jurisdictions you wish to be alerted for. You can also tell
your EAS gear to notify you in Manual Mode of any EAS alert received for
you City or Community of License. In this way you do not have to program all
the events separately. You can then program separately the events you actually
want it to take over your broadcast station/cable system for in the Automatic
Mode.

C.
Event Codes You MUST Program into your EAS Decoder

The FCC requires that broadcasters and cable operators program their EAS
Decoders for the following events:

Appendix A

MONITORING ASSIGNMENTS

This plan specifies only the required two EAS sources (in our case,
broadcast stations) that each broadcaster and cable operator is to monitor.
Most EAS decoders have more than two inputs. It is encouraged that broadcasters
add as many receivers and inputs beyond the two required to serve the needs of
their audience. It is strongly recommended that all broadcast stations and
cable systems add a NOAA weather radio receiver as one of the inputs to their
EAS decoder.

Additionally, because the Washington DC National Capital Region includes
three jurisdictions, (District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia) monitoring
assignments were chosen to cover the Maryland and Virginia state networks plus
the District. Broadcast stations and cable systems may choose to add EAS
decoder inputs to monitor adjacent areas to which they are not assigned.
Monitoring assignments were chosen based on a broadcast station's City of
License and a cable operator�s Community of Service.

Broadcast stations and cable
systems licensed to the District of Columbia were assigned two DC LP
stations.

Broadcast stations and cable
systems licensed to Maryland were assigned one Maryland SP or LP station,
and one DC LP station.

Broadcast stations and cable
systems licensed to Virginia were assigned one Virginia SR or LP station
and one DC LP station.

EAS designated LP-1, LP-2,
LP-3 and SR were assigned additional sources to
monitor in order to accomplish their relay assignments.

Broadcast stations outside these areas with a significant Washington DC
National Capital Region audience may monitor the Washington DC NCR EAS Area at
their option but must use the EAS assignments given to them in their respective
state plans. EAS primary sources for the Washington DC National Capital Region
are WTOP(FM) and WETA. In Maryland, WBAL/WIYY serve as the State sources. WBAL is also a Primary Entry
Point (PEP) source in the EAS national level (Presidential). WPGC-FM serves as
an LP-2 station. In Virginia, WMAL-FM will relay the Virginia state EAS network
to WTOP(FM) and WETA.

The "Local EAS Area" for broadcast station and cable system
decoders is as follows:

Jurisdiction

FIPS Code

Washington, DC

011001

Frederick

024019

Montgomery, MD

024031

Prince George's, MD

024033

Arlington, VA

051013

Fairfax, VA

051059

Loudoun, VA

051107

Prince William, VA

051153

Alexandria, VA

051510

Fairfax (City), VA

051600

Falls Church, VA

051610

Manassas, VA

051683

Manassas Park, VA

051685

Potomac River

073535

This section is provided to aid users of EAS, primarily broadcasters and
cable operators, in programming their event codes, Jurisdiction Codes, and
Modes of Operation into their EAS Decoder. This information can also be of
value to Emergency Services personnel who are making use of the Decoder section
in their EAS gear. Each EAS Alert that you want to program your EAS gear to
respond to will require that you tell it these three elements: which Event Code
you want it to respond to, which Jurisdiction that event should apply to, and
what Mode of Operation you want it to respond in. The Washington DC National
Capital Region EAS Area covers three major jurisdictions, Maryland, The
District of Columbia, and Virginia. Your broadcast station's monitoring
assignment is determined by your city of license, or in the case of cable, your
community of service.

Appendix F

MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING

This
Memorandum of Understanding is being executed among the following agencies:

District
of Columbia Emergency Management Agency

Maryland
Emergency Management Agency

Virginia
Department of Emergency Management

Nothing
in this Memorandum of Understanding should be construed as limiting or impeding
the individual authority or the basic spirit of cooperation that exists among
the participating agencies.

I. PURPOSE

The purpose of this Memorandum of Understanding is to express formal
agreement between the District of Columbia Emergency Management Agency
("DCEMA"), the Maryland Emergency Management Agency
("MEMA") and the Virginia Department of Emergency Management
("VDEM"), that, in the event of an emergency occurring in the
metropolitan Washington area, a regional Emergency Alert System (EAS)
announcement regarding the nature of the emergency and related protective
action instructions can be released quickly to the public with the consensus
and coordination of DCEMA, MEMA and VDEM.

II. MISSION

The mission of this regional EAS agreement is to achieve maximum
coordination and cooperation among public media communication capabilities
under authorities granted by the Federal Communications Commission to use EAS
broadcasts to provide the emergency alert and protective action announcements
by anyone or more of the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia state
level governments in the Metropolitan Washington D.C. area.

III. PROCEDURE

a.�� In the event of a quickly
escalating emergency with inter-jurisdictional impact on the populations living
or working in the impacted areas, the Regional Emergency Coordination Plan may
be activated. Communication between the state authorities and their respective
local jurisdictions will be initiated. This commur1ication will be facilitated
through the Regional Incident Communications and Coordination System or the
RICCS, if available, as implemented by the three state jurisdictions and the
Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments ("COG").

b.�� If
emergency information needs to be released to protect life and/or property, a
common message will be composed and verbally agreed to by the respective state
emergency authorities for immediate release through the media sources that have
agreed to participate in the Regional Emergency Alert System protocol. Each
state EAS plan lists the respective governmental officials authorized to
activate their respective systems.

c.�� EAS
messages will be announced as a District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia
Regional Emergency Alert Message, by the EAS message originator.

d.�� All subsequent EAS messages
will be approved jointly by representatives of the emergency authorities of
DCEMA, MEMA and VDEM.